Clothespin



May 28, 1940- F. w. meuem CLOTHESPIN Filed March 1, 1939 IEIELE,

, 11y VENT R: I

FRHHK W MEGUGIM BY WW .5: TT RHEYS.

PatentedMay 28,1940 o UNITED STATES f PATENT? OFFICE- 2,202,357; OLOTHESPIN' v I Frank w. McGugin, Richmond, Calif; I

Appli ation March 1,1939, se ial-No; 259,254 I zoiaims. o1. 2i,- 1s7) This invention relates togimprovements in clothespins and has particular reference to a\ clothespin which'may be locked to hold; the clothes upon the line and prevent the windfro blowing the clothesfrom the line. The principal obje'ct'of the invention is to produce a clothespin of. the character described that may be positively locked to prevent the clothes held thereby to be; disengaged from the line. l p i A further object isto produce a clothespin of the class described that; embodies in. its construction a positive lock that will hold the han dles of thedevice in locked. relation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course-of the following descrip? tion.

the same, y t

Fig. 1 is a side elevation. of the improved clothespin, showing the looking or latching means I in operative position;

Fig. 2 is an endelevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken 1 on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and further disclosing the latch means of the clothespin.

Ordinarily, clothespins, have been constructed which include a spring mechanism to close the jaws thereof normally; but, to my nowledge, none have been produced which providea positive looking or latching means to prevent the pin from being disengaged from the line. In the accompanying drawing wherein forthe purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 desige nates the pin in general, which cbinpriseshandles 6 and 1, pivotedat the point 8 and'having line orclothes engaging tongs 9 and Ill. Interposed between the handles 6 and 1 isia pawl l|,"pivoted to thehandle 1 at the point l2) This pawl extends across and between the handles 6' and 1 and is capable of engaging a plurality of struck-up members l3 formed in the handle 6. The pawl H is additionally providedwith a handle section I 4 so that the pawl may be rea leased from the struck-upmembers l3. It will be In the accompanying drawing iorming apart of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout position upon the line.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to [be 0 taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative 'to thevmaterial, size,-shapeland arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting fromthespirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Aclothespin comprising a pairof elongated sheet metallmembers pivoted together adjacent one yend forming, grippingelements below the pivot,ssaiclmembers of a semi-circular form in cross section above the gripping elements, a spring'surrounding the pivot and having its ends in said semi-circular portions of the-,member, one of saidmembers having notches struck inwardly within the semi-circular portion forming 2 ratchet teeth, and a pawl pivoted within the semi-circular portion of the other member and adaptedto co-operate with'the' notchesin the first mentioned member.

2, A clothespin comprising a pair of elongated sheet metal members pivoted I together adjacent one end andforming gripping elements beyond'the pivot, said members of a semi-circular form in cross section'above the gripping elements, a springfsurrounding the pivot and having its ends in said semi-circular portions of the members, one of said members having notches struck" inwardly within the semi-circular portion forming downwardly extending ratchet teeth, apawl pivoted within the semicircular portion of the other member and adapted to co-operate* with the notchesin the first mentioned member, and a laterally extending operating handle carried by the pawl intermediate its ends and extending outwardly beyond the elongated'memberi a RANK W. MCGUGIN." 

